Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Ancient Jade Warehouse

The address was on the far side of the city, in an abandoned warehouse.

If this had been before, I would have rushed over on impulse. But things were different now.

I called in Chen Laobao, and he stood before me, listening as I laid out everything.

The moment he heard it all, his expression grew grave. “Boss, this thing sounds a little suspicious. You really want to go take a look?”

I nodded, then looked at him. “What do you think this mysterious man is?”

Chen Laobao frowned and thought for a moment before saying, “Boss, since he chose to meet at the Old Pier, it’s obvious he didn’t want to attract too much attention. But the Old Pier is usually full of fishermen. Aside from them, there are also the water runners.”

My own guess was that this man might be one of those water runners.

Chen Laobao went on, “Still, whoever he is, since he dared to contact you on his own, he must have a purpose. We can’t act rashly. We’d better be careful.”

I nodded. My mind was already made up. “Chen Laobao, send a few men to protect me in the shadows. We have to go there ourselves and see what this mysterious man is really after.”

Night fell. Chen Laobao and I, along with several trusted men, quietly arrived at the abandoned warehouse.

The building outside was in ruin, the iron doors rusted through, giving off an especially sinister air.

We pushed the iron doors open with great caution. Inside, the warehouse was pitch-black, and the only sound was the howling wind slipping through the broken windows. Then, a faint glimmer of light flickered in a corner, and a figure slowly stepped out.

“Welcome, Gang Leader Wang.” The man’s low voice echoed through the warehouse. “I’ve been waiting for you a long time.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out his face, but he remained hidden in the shadows, impossible to identify.

I asked coldly, “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

The man gave a soft laugh and said slowly, “My identity doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have a piece of news about your gang’s future.”

The air grew tense. Chen Laobao, who had followed me, wore a stern expression.

His face was full of confusion; even I was startled by how this man addressed me.

By rights, only Chen Laobao and Lu Yier knew I had taken on the identity of gang leader.

How had he opened his mouth and called me that so casually?

The man continued, “The future of your gang depends on tonight’s decision.”

My heart tightened. I asked in a cold voice, “Speak clearly.”

He stepped out of the shadows, revealing a face I did not know. His skin was dark, his body hunched over.

He looked like a giant water rat.

Yet in his eyes there was a familiar chill. “I can already feel the Ancient Jade Gang awakening. I came here today to lend it a hand.”

I frowned, growing wary. “You’ve got the wrong person, don’t you? Who told you I’m the gang leader? And what is this Ancient Jade Gang supposed to be?”

He gave a faint smile, the coldness in his eyes deepening. “Gang Leader Wang, no need to keep pretending. You think you can fool everyone? The legend of the Ancient Jade Gang may be a century old, but once someone acquires this heavenly secret, everyone will know.”

I was shaken, and even Chen Laobao turned to look at him, clearly startled by his words.

The man went on, “Gang Leader, if I’m not mistaken, that jade rough stone in the Hai Kingdom auction market that hasn’t been released yet, the one called Jade-Faced Fox, was your doing, wasn’t it? If you’re willing to cooperate, we can restore the Ancient Jade Gang to its former glory together. Otherwise, all that awaits you is endless hardship.”

I gave a cold laugh. I had already made my decision. “What do you want?”

He smiled faintly and said slowly, “Simple. I want to establish an Ancient Jade Gang branch overseas. I can take the entire foreign market. As for the home front, I won’t touch a thing of yours.”

I frowned slightly. Strange as it was, his words did interest me.

To be honest, even though I was already the gang leader in the eyes of Lu Yier and Chen Laobao, the truth was that aside from the thirty million lying idle in the accounts and my constant habit of borrowing men from Chen Laobao, I never really felt like a gang leader at all.

“Well then,” I said at last, “what’s your name?”

I held the man in a long, hard stare.

He gave a cold smile. “My name is Pan Ximi.”

The moment I heard that odd name, something felt off, and alarm bells rang in my head.

But in the very next instant, Chen Laobao suddenly understood. His expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice to me. “Boss, this Pan Ximi is a ruthless figure in the overseas black market. They say he can reach the sky and the earth, and that his methods are vicious.”

Pan Ximi did not know whether he had heard Chen Laobao’s words, but he only sneered. “Looks like Old Leopard knows a thing or two about me. In that case, there’s no need to circle around anymore. Gang Leader Wang, what do you think of my proposal?”

I added, “You’ve already called me gang leader. You should know I’m not stupid enough to jump without seeing the rabbit. If you want us to cooperate, you’d better show some sincerity.”

Pan Ximi smiled lightly, a trace of cunning flashing in his eyes. “Gang Leader Wang, did you think I came empty-handed? This abandoned warehouse is only the surface. The real secret lies underground.”

I raised a brow and motioned for him to continue.

Pan Ximi pointed toward a corner of the warehouse and said slowly, “Beneath this place is a massive underground vault, storing century-old ancient jade. These pieces are the heirlooms of the Ancient Jade Gang, kept for the day the gang would rise again.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re saying there’s a treasure of the Ancient Jade Gang here?”

Pan Ximi nodded. “Exactly. As long as you agree to cooperate, these ancient jades will become our capital. With them, we can bring the Ancient Jade Gang back to glory.”

Chen Laobao and I exchanged a look. He looked tense.

It was clear he knew exactly what kind of person Pan Ximi was and understood that he was not to be trifled with.

But my own attitude remained calm. I considered myself barefoot; what did I have to fear from the man in shoes?

“All right,” I said at last. “I can consider cooperation, but I want to see those ancient jades first.”

Pan Ximi smiled and made an inviting gesture. “Of course. Please, Gang Leader Wang, follow me.”

He led us to one corner of the warehouse, where a hidden floorboard lay concealed.

Pan Ximi lifted the board, revealing a stairway leading underground.

“Please.” He gestured again, confidence filling his eyes.

I drew a deep breath and, with Chen Laobao and my men behind me, followed Pan Ximi down the stairs, my heart full of both expectation and caution.

But after we had wound through the tunnel for several dozen meters, the passage suddenly opened wide.

A vast underground space appeared before us.

And along with it, more than a dozen black, loaded rifles.

The secret beneath the earth was about to be revealed.